It's the End of the World as we Know it
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: Crying wolf isn't usually Chas's style, but when Chas makes claims that no one can believe, will John be able to stand up for his so called crazy apprentice? Chastine!
1. Chapter 1

No one in their right mind called John Constantine at two in the morning.

Regardless, John's phone was ringing. He groaned, growled at it, and then rolled over and pulled a pillow over his head.

It kept ringing.

Whoever it was, they had a death wish.

He rolled out of bed, his stiff joints protesting loudly at the movement and the floor ice cold under his feet. He shuffled into the kitchen, taking a swig from the glass of warm whiskey on the counter.

He finally grabbed at the phone on the wall, pressed it to his ear and grumbled, "What the _hell_ do you want?"

"Constantine, come down here and get your apprentice the hell out of my bar."

John was wide awake in an instant at the sound of Midnite's extremely pissed off voice. "What's Chas doing there?" he asked, a feeling of dread filling him.

"Just get here or I'll leave him to the patrons he disrupted," Midnite muttered, and then there was a click as the witch doctor hung up on him.

John cursed and threw the phone across the room, sneering as it hit the wall with a sharp 'crack'. He got dressed with violent movements, pondering all the strange and morbid ways he was going to injure that boy when he got his hands on him. And how many paychecks he was going to refuse to give him.

He took a cab down to Midnite's, and the bouncer stepped aside and the crowds parted like the Red Sea for John to pass through. A very agitated crowd, at that- no one there looked very happy, and John was pretty certain Chas was the reason for that.

He went straight back to the office and shoved the door open, met with the sight of his gagged apprentice sitting on a barstool in the corner, two very large demons standing very close by.

"What the fuck did he do?" John asked Midnite, who stood and walked over to him.

"He followed me from downtown," Midnite said calmly, taking his cigar out of his mouth. "Accused me of being a demon. Then he proceeded to somehow get into the club, stand up on a barstool, and try to convince all my customers that I was plotting to kill them."

John was seeing red by the time Midnite finished. He growled, narrowing his eyes as he pushed past the two demons and yanked Chas off the barstool.

"He won't bother you again, I guarantee you that much," he said menacingly, dragging Chas out the door and through the club, ignoring the fact that the teenager was still gagged and his hands were tied behind his back.

He heard the boy trying to talk as he pulled him up the stairs, but he wouldn't have any of that. He shoved Chas into the back of the first cab, seething with rage, and there he promptly blew up.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking? Do you know what Midnite does to people who cause trouble in his bar?" he yelled, and Chas scooted back against the opposite door in fear. John didn't stop at that.

"You're my apprentice, Chas, and when you pull stunts like that, guess who looks bad? Me. You make me look like an idiot, like I haven't taught you a damn thing."

Chas frowned and attempted to talk again, to no avail. He looked so pitiful, so desperate that John couldn't muster the energy to scream at him any more. He finally reached forward and yanked the gag off him, and immediately regretted it.

"But I _heard_ him John, he was talkin' to Balthazar about blockin' off the exits and burnin' the place up, and he said somethin' about taking a trip to Hell to solidify a possession, a-and-"

"Chas. Chas. **Chas**," John said, covering Chas's mouth with his hand and barely restraining the urge to scream at the teenager some more to get the point across that he was not happy. "Midnite…cannot…be…possessed. Lucifer himself would get a run for his money possessing a man like that. Stop spouting this shit and just forget about tonight," he said slowly, moving his hand away.

"But John…"

"No. No more of this. You've done enough damage already, you little brat," John snapped, not even allowing Chas to say a single word further. "Keep your mouth shut and lay low for a couple days. Let all this blow over while you still have your dick attached as opposed to ripped off by an angry witch doctor."

Chas's face fell, and he finally stopped trying to explain himself. John looked away as Chas dropped his gaze to his feet, and after a few moments, he figured that the boy wasn't going to cause any more trouble. He reached over and untied his hands.

"What were you thinking, Chas?"

Chas sighed. "I know what I saw, John, I just…"

"You didn't see anything, Chas. It's that damn imagination of yours, getting you in trouble again," John said firmly, sitting back with a sigh. "I can't believe you pulled this stunt."

Chas stared at John for a few moments, and then bit his lip and turned his gaze out the window.

"I wish you believed me."

John only snorted.


	2. Chapter 2

Things went smoothly for around two days. Chas followed instructions, lying low and dealing with the snickers and curses from everyone one the street who'd heard about what happened. John was almost ready to believe the whole thing had been a fluke.

Until he got a call from the police two hours after Chas was supposed to pick him up, telling John that he needed to come bail Mr. Kramer out of jail.

John was furious, but he knew he couldn't just leave the kid in prison to get raped or something. He took a cab down to the prison and told the driver to stay put, and he went inside and up to the front desk.

"I'm here to bail out Chas Kramer," he said darkly. He paid the outrageous fee, and then followed the clerk back to the holding cell.

Chas was sitting there, leaning forward on his knees, his head down. There was a quickly-forming bruise on his face. He looked up at the sound of a key getting shoved into the lock, and as soon as he saw John he smiled nervously.

"Hey, uh…I'm sorry about this, I-"

"Shut up," John snapped dangerously, and Chas immediately stopped talking and looked down at the ground.

There were times when Chas could be intelligent. This was one of those times- he remained completely silent for the entire ride home, his head down, his hands clasped in his lap. Once back to the apartment, he followed John up the stairs without a word, and then when they got inside John pulled a chair out and away from the table and pointed to it.

"Sit."

Chas sat. John paced.

"You know, John, I wasn't-"

"_Shut. Up._"

Silence once again. John paced for close to five minutes before finally stopping and beginning to speak.

"You know, Chas, sometimes I wonder how you've managed to live this long."

"But I-"

"_Don't fuckin' talk till I tell you to or I'll rip your balls off._"

Chas's eyes widened, and he shut up, watching John nervously.

"Alright, kid," John started, crossing his arms. "You're going to answer my questions exactly, no embellishments, no explanation. Just…the straight-up truth."

Chas nodded.

"Where did you go today?"

"Midnite's."

"To do what?"

"To find a relic I heard him mention. I-"

John cut him off from further explanation by raising his hand. "So…let me get this straight. You went to Midnite's in broad daylight to steal a relic."

"Well, yes, but-"

Chas was abruptly cut off by John hitting him on the side of his head, _hard_. He yelped and cowered, prepared for another hit, but none came.

"You're a stupid fuckin' little shit, you know that? Did you even find the relic?"

"No…"

"Do you have any proof at all for this insane theory of yours?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then it's settled."

Before Chas could argue, there was a knock at the door. John opened it up and Midnite was standing there, smoking a very expensive cigar.

"Constantine."

"Midnite. I wasn't aware you made a habit of house calls."

"Is your apprentice here?"

John quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah. I just bailed him out," he said, his voice tense with anger at those last three words. Chas winced.

"May I come in?"

John shrugged and stepped aside, opening the door wider. Chas scooted his chair back away from the door as Midnite stepped inside and put out his cigar in the nearest ashtray.

"John…I want you to use a Byzantium Talisman on me."

Both of John's eyebrows raised. "Why?"

Midnite stepped around Chas, circling him like a vulture. "All of this is about your apprentice believing I am possessed. A talisman of that kind would, as you know, cause irreparable damage to any demon spirit within me," he said, and then he squatted down in front of Chas. "Would that appease your insatiable curiosity enough to stop harassing my clients?"

Chas lifted his chin. "A Caligula Medallion. Then I'll believe you."

John was about to hit Chas over the head again for being so blatantly disrespectful, but didn't bother when he realized Midnite was laughing.

"As you wish. John?"

John muttered, but then retreated to his bedroom and took a few boards out of the wall to reveal a safe. He opened it and dug around, pulling out a small red box. He brought that back to the table, grabbed a bottle of holy water, and poured some into a bowl.

Midnite and Chas were both silent as John took out the old, beat-up medallion and dipped it into the holy water. Chas took a few steps back, and John put the medallion around Midnite's neck.

Moments passed. Nothing.

John could literally _see_ it the moment it hit Chas, when the boy realized that nothing was going to happen. He lowered his head and chewed lightly on his lower lip as Midnite turned around to face him.

"Now that I've wasted my valuable time with this shenanigan, do you have anything to say to me?"

Chas didn't look up. "I'm sorry, sir," he muttered miserably. Midnite snorted, taking off the medallion and handing it back to John.

"I have other, more important matters to attend to. You might want to keep any taser guns away from that boy and have him write a get well card to my bouncer."

John clenched his jaw and nodded, opening the door for Midnite, and the man strode out as confidently as he'd come in. John set to work putting away the medallion and the holy water, and by the time he'd finished, Chas still hadn't moved from that chair in the kitchen.

The boy looked absolutely crushed. John felt a pang of pity for him; after all, he'd just been trying to help, trying to figure out his weird delusions. And maybe John would've done some of that wild stuff when he was Chas's age.

_That doesn't change the fact that he was wrong. Dead wrong. And now every demon and angel in town knows it._

"C'mon, kid," John said, nudging Chas's shoulder. "Get some sleep. Early meetings tomorrow, don't want you falling asleep at the wheel."

Chas nodded, and didn't say a word as he trudged off to the couch. John sighed and ran a hand through his hair, watching his apprentice leave the room.

_That boy is going to be the death of you._


	3. Chapter 3

For the next few days, Chas seemed out of it. Distracted. John even caught him muttering to himself a few times, and not in the 'Kramer, Chas Kramer, asshole' fashion that he usually did.

But he assumed Chas would get over it. Every teenager had an episode like this sometime; it was all a part of growing up.

Evidently, Chas wasn't over this phase yet.

Only four days after the incident with Midnite, John was interrupted in his nightly routine of drinking whiskey till he passed out by Chas bursting in with a book in hand.

"I found it, John! I can prove it!"

John groaned, slamming his glass down. "Jesus Christ, Chas, get the fuck out of here with that shit."

"But I really can prove it this time! See, if Midnite had cast this spell, then the medallion wouldn't have-"

All the time Chas was rambling, John was standing up. He sneered, and then gave the kid a sharp slap. Chas stumbled and almost fell, the book falling to the floor.

"I'm so fuckin' sick and tired of this, Chas. You're not only ruining what little reputation you might've had, but if you keep this up, my reputation is gonna go down the drain too," he snapped as Chas rubbed his jaw. "If I hear a single word out of your mother about Midnite or possessions, I swear I'll fire you on the spot."

"But-"

"Fuckin' Christ, Chas, don't you know when to give it up?"

Chas stared at John for a few moments, and then got a look of utter determination on his face, lifting his chin.

"Fine. If you don't believe me, I'll find someone who does," he said, picking up the book.

"You're just gonna make a fool of yourself!" John yelled after him as the teenager left the apartment. "I swear, I'm not bailin' you out of jail again!"

The door slammed. John snorted, sitting heavily back down in his chair and pouring himself more whiskey, and trying to ignore the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him he should've listened more closely to what Chas wanted to say.

* * *

John was just beginning to doze when his phone rang. He growled and kicked the sheets down, getting up and shuffling through the kitchen to the phone.

"Yeah?"

"John?"

John immediately recognized Beeman's voice on the other end of the line. "What?"

"Your apprentice just stopped by here."

John groaned and rolled his eyes. "What did he do this time?"

A pause. "You mean you didn't send him to get those items?"

"…What items?"

"He brought me references to a spell. He told me you'd sent him here to get items to counteract the effects of the spell."

"Shit. Shit!"

"So you didn't send him."

"Where was he going, Beeman? Where the hell did that little shit go?"

"I-I don't know, he said something about running the counter spell by Midnite, just in case I was-"

John hung up, not even letting Beeman finish his sentence. He was out the door and hailing a cab in less than a minute, the fact that he was drunk not making this any easier.

Midnite wouldn't kill Chas if the kid tried to work some cheap, unpracticed magic; he might get mad, cast a spell or two out of spite, inflict some pain, but he wouldn't kill him. John knew this. But for some reason, he was still in a panic.

When he reached the club, he knew something was different. Only a few people were dancing, and those people were quite obviously very drunk- the rest were huddled in their private circles, murmuring quietly. The bouncer was not at the door.

John walked straight back to the back room, Midnite's office, and didn't hesitate to push the door open. But the site that greeted him was more than what he expected.

The bouncer was holding Chas from behind, but the boy was hanging lifeless in his grasp. In front of them stood Midnite, who was holding a blood-coated dagger. He saw John standing in the doorway, and he tossed the knife aside.

"What the _hell_?" John choked, running forward. The bouncer let go of Chas as John grabbed onto him, but the boy was obviously dead, his shirt soaked with blood. John dropped to his knees and lowered Chas to the floor, pressing his hand over the knife wound in the teenager's chest even though he knew it was no use.

"Get this trash out of my office," Midnite ordered, and John's eyes narrowed.

Midnite had too much respect for him to do something like this. Midnite, in any other normal time, might've punished Chas and called John, but he would never kill a defenseless teenager. It was below him to do something like that.

Unless said teenager knew more than he should.

"Chas was right all along."

Midnite froze, and then slowly looked back down at John. "I beg your pardon?"

John clenched his jaw, looking back down at the lifeless body of his apprentice. It was enough to make him tremble with rage.

"I should've listened to him from the start about you. I should've trusted him."

Midnite literally growled. "Have you lost your mind, Constantine?"

John looked back down at Chas, and caught sight of something in the boy's pocket. He reached inside, pulling out some kind of spell book. As Midnite headed for him, he opened it up to the dog-eared page and began to read the Latin inside.

The moment the first sentence was read, Midnite let out a shriek and fell back. The bouncer punched John hard, and he fell to the floor, the book skidding across the floor. John grabbed at the dagger that had been used to kill Chas, since it had been tossed aside like so much garbage, but the bouncer got to it first.

John narrowly avoided two of the bouncer's attempts to stab him, and then he punched the man in the nose, twisting the dagger away from him as the man clutched his nose in agony.

John didn't hesitate. Midnite was still recovering, as was the bouncer, and John took out the one he didn't want to have to deal with. Moments later, the bouncer dropped to the floor with the knife in his gut.

John stood up, looking around for the book, and eventually found it- in Midnite's hand. The man smirked darkly.

"Did you honestly think your petty incantations could bring me down?"

John didn't answer. Midnite stepped closer, gesturing to Chas.

"It's a shame. He had it all figured out, too."

"You _bastard_."

"You're the one who didn't keep a leash on him, Johnny-boy."

John's eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Fuckin' asshole, Balthazar, what the hell makes you think you can run around possessing witch doctors?"

"It was for a business deal. One that your little apprentice ruined," Balthazar said, his body movements suddenly becoming strange, coming from Midnite.

"And when Chas saw you talking to yourself in that alley?"

"He saw me talking with the demon who's taking care of my physical form and matters for me."

"And he was right about the medallion. You would know the spells for items born of Hell."

Balthazar nodded. "Johnny, don't you think that's enough talk? You know you can't deport me, especially not without this book. Just drag the body out of here and into some back alley, say he got mugged. It's not like you'll miss him."

John could feel the urge to simply beat the arrogant man to a pulp rising inside him, but for once, he managed to remain calm. Instead, he reached into his jacket, pulled out a handgun he kept hidden for last-ditch efforts only (cause really, an exorcist who has to use a tiny gun? Not badass.), and he cocked it and pointed it right at Midnite's forehead.

"Midnite's human. I kill him, your whole ruse is up."

Balthazar laughed. "You wouldn't."

"And I don't doubt that you'd be aptly punished in Hell. After all, Lucifer will have Gabriel banging down his door to get on you for this stunt. You didn't seem to remember the Balance in your plans."

"The boy involved himself."

"Tell Lucifer that."

John pulled the trigger. Midnite fell to the floor, dead.

John dropped the gun, and as soon as that, he heard slow, heavy applause behind him. One person clapping. The smell of sulfur became evident in the room.

"Very nice, John," a familiar voice said, and John snorted.

"Lu. Should've known you'd get into this eventually," he said, turning around to face the white-clad man.

"Someone had to sort out this mess," Lucifer said with a wry smile. "Keep it from reaching Heaven's ears."

"You know that won't happen. They probably already know."

"But I can make you an offer…in return for your silence on the matter."

John sneered. "What could you possibly have that could interest me that much?"

"Chas Kramer's soul. In limbo."

"You kept him from reaching Heaven."

"That would give them the proof they need to have one more prissy angel annoying me for all eternity. I have enough problems with those snobs, I'll do what I can to keep more of those rats out of my business."

John looked down at Chas, considering.

"What happens to him if I don't take your offer?"

"He remains in limbo until I find something else I want from you."

"You're blackmailing me."

"You expected less?"

John almost laughed. "Fine. Fine. You promise me Balthazar will be punished and Chas restored good as new, and I'll keep my mouth shut."

"It's a deal."

Lucifer suddenly disappeared from the room, and for a few moments, there was an odd heaviness in the room. John couldn't even breath. Moments later, though, he heard coughing and looked over.

Chas groaned and reached up to his chest, and John dropped down next to him, helping the boy sit up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at Chas's chest. Still blood covered, but no gaping wound.

"What h-happened?" Chas asked weakly, looking around.

"You were right, Chas, you were right all along."

"Well, duh."

John pulled Chas into a hug, rubbing his back- until he heard a groan from across the room. He pulled away and looked over his shoulder to where Midnite was sitting up, rubbing his unmarred forehead.

"John…what are you doing here? And what havoc did you cause to give me such a headache?" Midnite paused, catching site of the body on the floor. "And…why is my bouncer dead?"

John smirked, standing up and helping Chas to his feet.

"He was possessed. Had to kill him. He hit you over the head, that's all."

Chas's eyes widened. "John-"

"Goodbye now!"

Before Midnite could ask any questions, John dragged Chas out of the office, out of the club, and into a cab.

"John, shouldn't we-"

"No."

"But he isn't-"

"No."

"I didn't-"

"Chas, shut up."

"But I died!"

"You're alive now, problem solved."

Chas pouted. "You owe me an apology."

"I'm sorry."

"A _sincere_ one."

"Damn."

"I hate you."

"You wish."


End file.
